I really miss writing, but haven't been able to get into it lately.

[BertieBotts]

Any tips? I used to write loads. I wrote a journal (livejournal) and I was always writing fanfiction or my own creative stuff, but over the context of a controlling relationship and then having a small child it sort of got lost somewhere, and I rarely write anything now. I have a blog, but last updated it in July and that was an "Oh shit I haven't updated in ages" kind of thing.

How do you get back into it? I tried NanoWrimo this year but had dropped off before the end of the first week and then got so far behind that it seemed impossible. And a lot of the time when I was writing for that, I was getting this crippling sort of aaaargh feeling where it was almost like my fingers were cringing away from the keyboard. I was extremely aware that a lot of what I was writing was utter crap (maybe that's just me being more grown up?) but trying to ignore that and focus on the story, except the story kept sliding away. I'd get little bursts of inspiration to describe a setting or transcribe a conversation but then that part would be over and I'd be stuck with no idea of where to go next - that never used to happen.

I wonder if reading through some of my older stuff would help, or not. I can get some of it because it's still on my mum's computer. But other bits are gone for good - we moved abroad just over a year ago and I was being really ruthless and totally chucked one of my notebooks that I'd written quite a lot in because most of it was from the time when I was really deep in depression and it was quite upsetting to read. (Also because it had embarrassing fiction about me and my teenage crush in it!) But I wish I'd kept it now.

Has anyone else experienced this and what did you do?

How horrible! Perhaps a good way to start would just be to read like mad. Indulge yourself with plenty of escapism, and perhaps the holiday from yourself (and reading will always produce pangs of reaction from your submerged ego, so it will strengthen you without your realising it) will rest you. In time, inspiration is boundto start pricking you again, too...

I ought to add that I've moved a lot, too, and that has also broken up my writing progression. However, over the last year or so, I've ditched a very long project which I had realised was juvenilia (and I was embarassingly old for juvenilia, too! ), and my writing has changed fairly radically, in both genre and length! I have to say that I am relieved, and don't really miss the old characters and world so much, although if I want, I can have a fond think about them without worrying about whether other people give a damn about them!

Oh yes I definitely need to read again. I've been reading but only on my kindle app and at the moment I'm trying to clear the backlog of samples, so have been reading a lot of snippets of books but not many full books. Plus it's just harder to get into adult books because there is so much more variation. I was totally spoiled by being in the perfect generation - having loads of access to a load of brilliant, well written new and old YA fiction when I was younger before it got flooded by the twilight type stuff, and it's hard to wade through the pile of adult literature, finding a balance between unbearably poncy and "take a break magazine".

I've got an e-reader, and there really is a lot of crap, isn't there? It feels very unsatisfying to dump stories after only a chapter, but - really - sometimes it is the only way to save your sanity!

What genres are you into?

That's the thing, I don't really know! I know what I don't like, find it hard to articulate what I do like. My absolute favourite book ever is Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, which is YA again. But I don't like swords-and-sorcery type fantasy at all. That "fringe science" stuff is interesting - alternate universes, cloning, telepathy etc. Dystopian future is good (although overdone these days) and historical can be, but I don't like it to be too stuffy. And I like a good mystery/crime, but hate it when they spring horrible scenes of torture on you in the middle of the book. Similarly, I'm interested in stuff about the foster care/adoption system, but can't deal with graphic descriptions of abuse. Similarly not interested in horror.

I like romance as long as it's not cheesy or cliche ridden, or shows an abusive relationship without acknowledging that it's abusive. Not interested in any kind of revenge type story. Stories from the point of view of children I sometimes enjoy but again recently I keep coming across stuff where the child is abused/witnesses abuse and I find it upsetting, I wouldn't mind if it was obviously going to be about that but often it's without warning.

I like teen, YA stuff, but it tends to be short. I like the coming of age type of stuff a lot. Don't like stories with a lot of tedious battles and fighting and stuff like that, or based on sport. Quite like stories about people living in other countries and finding out about new cultures.

I have got quite a long reading list now but always open to suggestions!

Oh, and I hate it when books jump around in time constantly and expect you to keep up. I find that really confusing especially as I tend to read in spurts.

I'll have a think, but if you like light, fantastica, some philosophical/magical/scifi underpinning, a bit of romance, have a look at Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series (starting eith Soulless). Rhere is a bit of blood and fighting (hiven the supernstural element, but they are vair stiff upper lip and correct about it all (or else frivolous), so it passes off nicely. Discussions about the supernaturals' souls and aether are a bit reminiscent of Pullman's philosophical framework for Dust.

Out of left field, maybe try Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, as well!

Above all, don't despair! You'll get better.

Oooh, and Barbara Michaels gothics are good, not overly gory, too!

Ah - see that's another thing I am not particularly interested in, is the idea of supernatural beings in general. Not really into the whole vampire, werewolf etc lore. (Though I liked Harry Potter too). I will have a look, though. Fighting/war as a general driver of the plot I'm not that interested in.

Ah, I thought your username indicated a Harry Potter reader, which was why I suggested that.

As for resuming the writing, have you thought of starting with book reviews, which would give you a starting point for resuming your fluency, and get your analytical skills back into use? Lots of people here recommend goodreads, or there's always the bookshops you buy your books from: they love exclusive reviews by confirmed purchasers. You might even enjoy writing bad reviews. I had a great time writing about Elizabeth Kostova's Swan Thieves (and I had to look that up, as I got rid of the book). The book was so awful that it was a challenge to get that across, and I spent quite a while planning my review!

Yep. Totally forgot that was my name, haha! I have weird taste, I think. I've got an account on Goodreads, I might give that a go :)

I wrote a children's novel four years ago. Also some short stories, poetry, book reviews etc.

Since arrival of dc3, now nine months, I've had a few ideas but struggling to get back into daily writing. I really need to, I miss it. As a sahm it is my hobby and passion. Something for me!

I'm reading like mad again and I can feel the old writing cogs beginning to turn again. I'm 35 and would like to complete another novel by the time I'm 40 ( have to be realistic with 3 kids!).

It's definitely reading that helps. Escapism.

you might like Station Eleven.

As far as writing goes you just have to do it, and accept it will be crap! First drafts always are whoever is doing the writing- I've seen famous writers say so on twitter

I use an app called write-track which is good for motivation. It's dead simple- choose a writing goal, how much/often you want to write or what you want to finish. They give you examples to choose from or you can make up your own. Then you just log whenever you've written and it shows as a list of comments and as yellow dots on a calender.

I wrote a whole YA novel using it to help get me going.

Sometimes you just go through a drought.

I had a dark period (cue mysterious music) when I couldn't write it. What fixed it for me? Fanfic. I was obsessed with a tv show, read some, tried writing some, had a willing audience and for the first time in AGES writing was FUN. However most people probably wouldn't recommend that, but it worked for me.

You could try something else light and fun, like I'm doing Holly Lisle's free three-week-course on flash fiction at the moment, in which you write five 500-word stories. It's surprisingly easy and helpful. Not sure of the link as I'm logged in and I think that complicates things but google 'How to write flash fiction that doesn't suck'.